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People of the Revolution and the USSR
Activity
Affiliation
Position(set)
Citizenship
Background
Era
People of the Soviet Union
People of the Chinese revolution and the People’s Republic
People of the wider world
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Tsedenbal Цэдэнбал
Mongolian planning and Soviet ties
Political and party leadership · Mongolian People's Party / Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
1916–1991
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Vladimir Vasilyevich Bakhirev Владимир Васильевич Бахирев
The munitions administrator who commanded Soviet conventional-ammunition mass production for 19 years of the Cold War
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–1991
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Augusts Eduardovich Voss Augusts Voss
Latvian party boss turned Soviet of Nationalities chairman
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–1994
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Valentin Mikhailovich Berezhkov Валентин Михайлович Бережков
Stalin's personal interpreter at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam who became the Soviet Union's leading Americanist
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–1998
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Leonid Vasilyevich Smirnov Леонид Васильевич Смирнов
The VPK chairman who coordinated the Soviet military-industrial complex for 22 years
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–2001
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Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov Александр Михайлович Прохоров
Nobel-winning laser co-inventor who helmed the Great Soviet Encyclopedia for three decades
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1916–2002
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Vladimir Ivanovich Terebilov Владимир Иванович Теребилов
Jurist who revived the abolished Justice Ministry and directed the codification of Soviet legislation
Law and justice · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–2004
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Vitaly Lazarevich Ginzburg Виталий Лазаревич Гинзбург
From the H-bomb's 'second idea' to the Nobel Prize: a century-spanning theoretical physicist
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1916–2009
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Wan Li 万里
“If you want rice, look for Wan Li” — the reform pioneer who let Anhui’s peasants contract land to households
Agriculture and land policy · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1916–2015
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Wang Dongxing 汪东兴
Mao’s bodyguard chief whose Zhongnanhai Unit 8341 arrested the Gang of Four, then pushed aside for the “two whatevers”
Security, intelligence and policing · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1916–2015
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Kim Jong-suk 김정숙
Anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter on Mt. Paektu, posthumously revered as one of the 'Three Generals'
Military command
1917–1949
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Géza Losonczy Losonczy Géza
A reform communist journalist
Ideology and propaganda · Hungary state institutions
1917–1957
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Igor Semyonovich Panasyuk Игорь Семёнович Панасюк
Kurchatov's closest assistant who ran the F-1 reactor, then denounced his mentor and was sidelined
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1972
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Nur Muhammad Taraki نور محمد ترهکی
Afghan communist founder whose overthrow and murder by his protégé Amin triggered the Soviet invasion
Political and party leadership · Afghanistan state institutions
1917–1979
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Alexander Vasilyevich Sidorenko Александр Васильевич Сидоренко
The institutional architect of Soviet geology who spanned desert and Precambrian
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1982
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Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun Семён Кузьмич Цвигун
Brezhnev's watcher planted beside Andropov
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1982
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Sharaf Rashidovich Rashidov Шараф Рашидович Рашидов
Writer turned leader who drove Uzbekistan's industrialization and cultural revival for 24 years, later tied to the Cotton Affair
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1917–1983
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Tikhon Yakovlevich Kiselyov Тихон Яковлевич Киселёв
Belarus's premier for nearly 20 years who rose to First Secretary and candidate Politburo member, then died of cancer two years later
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1983
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Yevgeny Ivanovich Zababakhin Евгений Иванович Забабахин
Scientific director of the USSR's second nuclear weapons design centre
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1984
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Semyon Konstantinovich Kurkotkin Семён Константинович Куркоткин
One of the last Marshals, who ran the Soviet rear for 16 years
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1990
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Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov Николай Васильевич Огарков
The Chief of Staff who foresaw a revolution in military affairs and opposed the Afghan invasion
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1994
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Vadim Aleksandrovich Matrosov Вадим Александрович Матросов
The military axis of the KGB: 17 years commanding the border army
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1999
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Dmitry Stepanovich Polyansky Дмитрий Степанович Полянский
Brezhnev-era official across agriculture and government
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2001
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Vasily Pavlovich Mishin Василий Павлович Мишин
Korolev's successor who delivered Soyuz and Salyut, and bore the N-1 lunar failure
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2001
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Văn Tiến Dũng Văn Tiến Dũng
Vietnamese general who led the 1975 spring offensive to Saigon and directed the 1979 invasion of Cambodia and border war with China
Military command · Vietnam state institutions
1917–2002
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Kerim Aliyevich Kerimov Керим Алиевич Керимов
The long-hidden manager of crewed spaceflight
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2003
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Vasily Sergeyevich Tolstikov Василий Сергеевич Толстиков
Leningrad party leader during the Thaw who became ambassador to China
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1917–2003
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Zhang Chunqiao 张春桥
Theoretician of the Gang of Four who organized the Shanghai People's Commune and championed all-round dictatorship over the bourgeoisie
Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1917–2005
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Nikolai Prokofyevich Fedorenko Николай Прокофьевич Федоренко
Founder of CEMI and architect of SOFE: the mathematician who tried to redesign the planned economy
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2006
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Nuritdin Akramovich Mukhitdinov Nuritdin Akramovich Muhitdinov
First Central Asian in the Presidium, nationalities-policy practitioner
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2008
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Pyotr Nilovich Demichev Пётр Нилович Демичев
A Brezhnev-era manager of cultural policy
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2010
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Eric Hobsbawm Eric Hobsbawm
Historian of revolution’s social foundations and later memory
Scholarship and theory · Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
1917–2012
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Vasil Biľak Vasiľ Biľak
The party ideology secretary who signed the letter inviting Soviet tanks into his own country
Political and party leadership · Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ)
1917–2014
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Vasily Ivanovich Petrov Василий Иванович Петров
Commander-in-Chief of Ground Forces who led the Soviet operation in the Ogaden War, the last marshal forged in combat
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2014
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Nako Spiru Nako Spiru
Albanian communist economic planner who led domestic criticism of Yugoslav economic control
Economy, finance and planning · Albania state institutions
1918–1947
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Kang Kon 강건
The KPA's first Chief of General Staff who finalized the invasion plan with Soviet advisers
Military command · Democratic People’s Republic of Korea state institutions
1918–1950
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Fyodor Davydovich Kulakov Фёдор Давыдович Кулаков
Agriculture secretary seen as a Brezhnev successor whose sudden death opened the seat for Gorbachev
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–1978
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Pyotr Mironovich Masherov Пётр Миронович Машеров
Belarus's partisan-hero leader for 15 years who transformed an agrarian republic into an industrial powerhouse - his death a legend
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–1980
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Igor Demyanovich Statsenko Игорь Демьянович Стаценко
Commander of the 51st Missile Division that deployed R-12 missiles to Cuba
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1987
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Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu
Romania's leader who combined independent diplomacy with a cult of personality
Political and party leadership · Romania state institutions
1918–1989
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Fyodor Konstantinovich Mortin Фёдор Константинович Мортин
Sakharovsky's 13-year right hand and the short-lived PGU chief of early détente
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1990
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Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky Владимир Васильевич Щербицкий
The Brezhnev-era republic-builder who led Ukraine for 17 years, linchpin of the Dnepr clan
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–1990
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Yevgeny Filippovich Ivanovsky Евгений Филиппович Ивановский
Longest-serving GSFG commander who led the Soviet front-line force facing NATO for eight years
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1991
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Andrei Mikhailovich Alexandrov-Agentov Андрей Михайлович Александров-Агентов
The foreign-policy aide who served four Soviet General Secretaries
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1993
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Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin Александр Николаевич Шелепин
The Komsomol boss who took over the KGB
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1994
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Grigory Vasilyevich Kisunko Григорий Васильевич Кисунько
Soviet military scientist who designed the world's first operational anti-ballistic missile defense system
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1998
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Vyacheslav Ivanovich Kochemasov Вячеслав Иванович Кочемасов
The last Soviet ambassador to watch the GDR dissolve
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1998
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Nikolai Timofeevich Glushkov Николай Тимофеевич Глушков
Brezhnev-era chief price administrator who oversaw every official price in the USSR for 11 years
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1999
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Sergey Alexandrovich Afanasyev Сергей Александрович Афанасьев
Long-serving minister of missile and space industry
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2001
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Ivan Kirillovich Yakovlev Иван Кириллович Яковлев
The MVD general who turned the Internal Troops into a mobile strike force and sealed Chernobyl
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2002